


Anything

by LadyNightingGaleofMilvania



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: M/M, Post-Game, Sadness, bring the tissues, implied alcohol abuse, it's another sad one, no violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-21 20:27:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16583573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyNightingGaleofMilvania/pseuds/LadyNightingGaleofMilvania
Summary: Soon after the first dawn in 10 years Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto go on a trip to try and relax. However fate has another idea in store for the Shield.





	Anything

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NekoAisu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NekoAisu/gifts).



The scenery passed by in a blur as Gladio blankly looked out at nothing. It had been at least, what, a month now since Noctis’ passing and the beginning of the New Dawn as some were calling it? The Shield didn’t know anymore, he’d long since lost track of time. Between the hunts he’d been accepting and the hours that crept by when he was _supposed_ to sleep he’d seem to have forgotten entirely. As he turned his head from all the not-looking he was doing out the window he saw Ignis and Prompto chatting in the front seat of the car, smiling about something one of them had said.

How could they be so happy? Like they didn’t have a care in the world, meanwhile Gladiolus himself could only find rest at the bottom of a bottle some nights. He tuned in just in time to hear Prompto’s voice warble something out at him.

“What?” Gladio asked.

“What do you wanna do when we get to the Quay?” Prompto asked again, turning to face the Shield that time.

Gladio spaced out for a moment, trying to think of an answer. _I really just want another drink…_

“I dunno.. Check in to the room first?” Gladio shrugged.

“I think Prompto means _after_ check-in.” Ignis pointed out offhandedly, looking at Gladiolus via the rear view mirror.

The man sighed heavily, unable to hide the slight frustration in his voice, “I guess sit at the shoreline?”

He noticed the two blonds exchange what they must have thought to be a secretive glance before the younger nodded cheerfully.

“Yeah, the beach _does_ sound nice!”

As they arrived at Galdin Quay and checked in Gladio realized what room they were heading toward… Why did it have to be _that_ room? The one where it all began, where this never ending nightmare started.

Why did the Astrals see fit to torment him?

“They said that we can acquire a boat upon request, would either of you care to join me in picking one out?” Ignis said, his voice sounding distant in Gladio’s ears.

Somewhere he heard Prompto awkwardly reply before the sound of a door shutting met his ears… and then deafening silence.

He walked over and placed a hand on the cool sheets, looking hard at the bed. This was where Noctis had sat when they heard the news that Insomnia had fallen, and now if he looked out the window in the direction of the watery horizon he could see Angelguard where Noctis now rested. Gladio took a deep breath and sat down on top of the sheets, hands fisted in his hair and eyes squeezed tightly shut. The sound of a door being opened made him shoot straight up, only to see Ignis and Prompto already back after gods-knew-how-many minutes.

“So turns out that they had the Royal Vessel still docked here after… everything…” Prompto started, clearing his throat.

“The workers here recognized us, so they are going to allow us to use the boat free of charge whenever we want.” Ignis finished.

Gladiolus nodded, looking back through the glass panes at the waves crashing into the island sitting in the waters. He had known that the Royal Vessel was docked here, he had visited several times--heck he even had a spare key that he had found one day with his things--and had taken the boat out to Angelguard himself. It was the only time he felt at peace, being on that island, next to Noct.

“Hey guys…” Gladio started, voice breaking for a moment before he cleared his own throat to continue,  “Hey guys, I gotta run out and do something real quick and I might not be back before you visit Noct. Don’t wait up for me, I’ll meet you there.”

Ignis stared him in the eye hard before nodding, “Don’t stay out too late though, we have an early start tomorrow.”

“Yeah…” Gladiolus acknowledged weakly before leaving the room.

The sun had already begun to set--he still wasn’t used to the whole day-and-night cycle being a thing again--and Gladio gave a weak wave to the desk clerks and waved his key, waiting for the boat renter to nod before heading out to the docks. The sky had begun to darken as oranges and reds streaked through the sky, a few stars even dared to twinkle in the heavens and Gladio couldn’t help but feebly wish that Noctis were still there with them to laugh and enjoy the sun again.

Walking down the wooden steps he looked for the boat, sitting there at the end of the dock just waiting to glide over the water to the driver’s destination. He walked across the pier until his hand rested on the prow, gliding over to where he could board the ship. Gladiolus crossed the deck over to the wheel where he put in the key to start it, the engine catching almost instantly.

“To Noct.” Gladio whispered to himself after unhooking the boat from the dock so as to set sail.

The closer to the island he got, the more he heard what sounded like whispers over the water, looking over the bow he saw nothing and chalked it up to the wind. At one point Gladio swore that a woman whispered in his ear but when he turned around nobody was there. Honestly he couldn’t get to the island fast enough.

As Gladiolus anchored the boat he saw several people standing near the steps leading up to the tomb, causing the Shield to jump from the boat straight onto land and charge head-on toward the people. Nobody should have been on the island except for him, there were no boats docked, hell people never set foot on the hunk of rock because of who rested there! The closer he got however, the more he realized that there was nothing else there but the cold chill the emanated from the ocean. Gooseflesh rose from Gladio’s skin and a chill ran down his spine, the strange and distant whispering continued although he couldn’t make out what they were saying. He had yet to touch a drink that day, so he knew it wasn’t booze messing with his head again, and he could lie to himself and say it was the now non existent wind but that didn’t make him feel any better. The only thing that calmed him was the thought that he could have a moment alone with Noctis, brother-in-arms by day but lover-in-arms by night. As he entered the stone room Gladiolus stared at the tomb that had been carved and brought here just for Noctis so he could rest for eternity, where the New Dawn he had fought so hard for could never touch him…

Gladio’s knees went weak and he sank to the floor, unable to keep his tears in check as he let out a choked sob. Noctis should have been buried where the sun could shine on him every morning and the breeze could rustle the grass that covered him. Gladiolus’ cries echoed like a symphony of sorrow and glided across the water to disappear in the night. It wasn’t fair, why should Noctis have been born just to be a lamb to the slaughter? What kind of life was that to be born to? Gladio simmered on those bitter thoughts until he felt something ghost across his mind.

 _What would you give to have returned what was lost?_ A voice asked in a deep baritone.

Gladio scanned his surroundings quickly to find that he was still the only one there. _Is this it?_ the Shield thought to himself, _Is this the day I finally lose my mind?_

 _This is not insanity, o Broken Shield, but an offer._ the booming voice continued, _Are you fooling enough to accept?_

“What do you mean an offer?” Gladio yelled to the Nothing that seemed to be speaking to him.

_I bring you an offer to return what has been lost, mortal one. But this gift comes at a price…_

“But what is it that’s been--”

Gladio stopped mid-question, could the voice mean Noctis? Surely not. Noctis had been dead for long enough that it could only take the will of the Astrals to bring him back, and even then _how_?

 _Yes,_ the voice answered, _but what would you offer in return for such a prospect?_

“Anything.” Gladio whispered painfully, looking at the cold tomb that embraced the body of his fallen lover.

_Are you sure of your answer, Shield of None, last to carry your name? What if the price were to take your sight, or to take the very strength with which to defend your King? Would you accept it even then? Such may be the price and I will ask only once. Would you truly trade any to return your all?_

There was that creeping cold again, seeping from the room down to his very bones. Gladio’s mouth went dry, what would he trade? Surely that was a dumb question, his very job had been to protect Noctis with his life if need be, a job that he had failed when Noctis had gone to the void ahead of him… The breath seemed to escape him, fleeing from his very lungs as though it could not leave his body fast enough.

“Would he… would you heal him?”

_The Bringer of Light would be as whole as when your journey was at its start._

Gladiolus took one more look at the tomb of stone before nodding to the empty space. “Anything.”

 _So be it._ came the reply.

Suddenly Gladio felt weak, his breath came in gasps and the cold… _Astrals_ but the cold seem to seep into every fiber of his being. The tomb slowly opened and the smell of death permeated the air, causing Gladiolus to gag. Slowly, ever slowly, the Shield’s vision began to narrow until it was all but a distant pinprick as exhaustion overtook him with only one sound to break the silence. Gladiolus wished the familiar voice had only been happier as he finally faded away into nothing.

_“Gladio?”_

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is for the wonderful NekoAisu who inspired me to write it. Love ya! <3


End file.
